Culinary Skills

Culinary Skills


  • Our chef training program equips you with basic theoretical and practical culinary skills for immediate entry into the foodservice industry. Through classroom instruction and hands-on work in the on-campus culinary labs, students learn about such areas of specialization as à la carte cuisine, pastry, desserts and baking, ethnic cuisine, contemporary cooking and more. The program also includes seven weeks of industry work experience. Over half of the graduates of this one-year program continue on for another year and complete the Culinary Management diploma program or enter our Advanced Cook Apprenticeship program.
  • A fast-track program is implemented for the January start. The first semester (January to April) is immediately followed by the second semester (May to July).
Highlights
  • Learn hands-on in Club 213, Loyalist’s successful on-campus, student-run gourmet dining establishment.
  • Operate the Loyalist Market, a retail outlet offering an amaz­ing variety of fresh and frozen product designed and created by culinary students.
  • Create and innovate under the guidance of distinguished chefs.
  • Experience all aspects of restaurant management from hosting and service to food preparation, pricing, and inventive menu design.
  • Complete the in-class requirements for Red Seal Apprentice­ship at the completion of the two-year diploma program.
Career Opportunities
  • Culinary Management graduates are prepared to effectively work in the culinary industry as cooks/chefs and to supervise a kitchen, manage a restaurant, or pursue related oppor­tunities as a convention planner or bartender.
  • The food service industry employs over a million Canadians. While job opportunities are abundant, opening a restaurant is a high-risk venture. It takes more than a love of food. A diploma from Loyalist will prepare you to take on the challenge and pursue your dream with solid skills in marketing, entrepreneur­ship and all aspects of managing a restaurant.
  • There’s no life like the life of a chef. You will work evenings, weekends and most holidays in a high-pressure environment, sweating over a hot stove – and love every minute of it.
Program Description
  • Loyalist is a leader in chef training and culinary management. Students complete all of the in-class requirements for appren­ticeship training in the two-year program. Following on-the-job completion of their apprenticeship outcomes, graduates are qualified to write the exam for Interprovincial Red Seal Certification, which is an internationally-recognized standard of quality.
  • Students in the programs run the highly successful, on-campus ­gourmet restaurant Club 213 known for its great food and great prices. Each student works in the kitchen and the dining room, gaining first-hand experience with both the food prepara­tion and service sides of the business. Students also operate the Loyalist Market, a retail outlet that offers an amazing variety of fresh and frozen product designed and created by culinary students. The Market also teaches the business of effective food service operation.
  • Optional field trips ­provide opportunities for regional and international travel. New York City and Paris are the latest international destinations in which Loyalist students gained invaluable experience in food and culture.
  • Those who complete the certificate in Culinary Skills – Chef Training with a minimum average of 60% in all courses may choose to continue their studies with a diploma in Culinary Management. In their second year, students return to the kitchen of Club 213 – this time as supervisors directing their first-year peers. Students develop essential teamwork and lead­ership skills, providing a real competitive advantage. Graduates leave the program with first-hand experience in every aspect of restaurant management, and the ability to develop a business plan and marketing strategy.
RELATED ARTICLES:

A.) Cooking Skills 

  • Recent evidence suggests that there has been a gradual decline in cooking skills over the past few decades. Acquiring good cooking skills is being viewed as old-fashioned and maybe even no longer necessary in an increasingly technology based world. A recent survey of 7-16 year olds in England (Caraher et al, 1999) showed that young people's cooking skills were greatly influenced by technology. For example, cooking food in a microwave rated higher than cooking from scratch.
  • Cooking skills frame the way people see food, and the availability of foods determine, to some extent, the type and range of cooking applied. Inadequate cooking skills and knowledge are a concern as they can lead to poor diet and subsequent nutritional deficiencies.
  • Advances in technology and increasingly busy lives have led to an increased consumption of ready-to-eat meals. People may have the attitude that if they can purchase meals that require minimal preparation, why bother to learn how to cook. The availability of ready-to-eat foods removes the need for cooking skills in order to put food on the table. If people do not have adequate cooking skills they may rely on these types of foods for meals. The popularity of pre-prepared foods has not lessened the importance of cooking from basic ingredients. Many people attempt to pass off pre-prepared foods as their own, which indicates what is socially acceptable. A particular concern with the popularity of pre-prepared foods is that people will unknowingly consume large quantities of fats and sugars, at the expense of other more important nutrients and anti-oxidants which may protect against disease.
  • We are yet to discover if relying on pre-prepared meals from the supermarket will result in comparable health to that from home-cooked meals made from scratch. In the latter situation you have control over the ingredients and will try to use the best and freshest, and include a greater quantity and variety of ingredients, e.g. bottled pasta sauce vs. home cooked sauce - bottled sauce may not contain the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs, vegetables, etc. and therefore may not be as phytochemically dense.
  • Many nutrition based organizations promote foods such as rice, pasta, fish, and fruit and vegetables without adequately addressing the skills and knowledge needed to prepare these foods. In addition, many people may possess these skills but may not put them to good use. People from higher socio-economic groups seem to be the most likely to choose not to cook from basics. It is not known whether this is because they can afford it financially, because of lack of time, because it is culturally acceptable, because they cannot cook, or a combination of these factors.
  • Historically, it has been the duty of the mother to pass cooking skills on to the daughter, and cooking was seen as a woman's domain. This is increasingly changing, with many men showing an interest in food and even taking it up as a full time occupation. We are seeing increasing numbers of men working as chefs in restaurants and many male chefs hosting television cooking shows and writing for food magazines.
  • Public interest in food has soared and this is evident in the number of cooking shows on television around the world, and cook book and magazine sales. Caraher et al, (1999) are concerned that "the growth of cookery programs on TV may well be leading to cooking becoming a spectator activity rather than an active or participant activity." The main concern with the popularity of cooking programs is is that they do not seem concerned with cooking healthy food, instead they often cook with high fat foods such as cream and cheese. Cooking is seeing a shift from being viewed as a daily chore to a leisure pursuit, with many people indicating that they like to cook for pleasure, to 'de-stress' or to exhibit their creativity. Cooking for leisure is most often seen among the higher socio-economic groups.
  • Acquiring the skill to cook has beneficial outcomes. It gives a person the ability to cook from basics, which in turn, provides a basis from which their cooking ability can develop. Having the skill to cook from scratch opens up a whole new world of foods, textures and tastes. Once you know the basic principles of cooking, you can experiment with different ingredients and cuisines.
B.) Chef Skills 


  • Chefs may work in restaurants, cafes, hotels, motels, clubs, cafes, function centres, catering firms, flight catering centres and ships.
  • Chefs (Heads of kitchens) are in charge of the kitchen and the staff working there as well as responsible for designing the menu and selecting and ordering the food. They are often responsible for planning and organising of the food for a special event such as a wedding, dinner or conference.
  • Chefs and cooks, particularly those working in larger establishments, often specialise in a particular cuisine or the preparation of a particular food. These range from Asian to African cuisines, to sauces (chef saucier) and to salads. And with confidence, creativity and experience, the possibilities are endless for creating new styles of cooking or combining different ingredients.
C.) Culinary Thesaurus 

  • A few days ago I wrote about a cheese and wine paring website I had discovered on the web which was both well presented and reasonably informative. Today it is the turn of a book I bought from Amazon that covers the concept of pairing different foods and discusses how various flavour combinations may or may not work together.
  • It is obviously true to say that there is a very close relationship between food and wine that probably goes a long way towards explaining why nearly every person that I know in the wine trade is also a quite serious 'foodie'. Indeed, if I look at my own collection of books it is probably split 50/50 between wine and food.
  • This new book is quite simply named The Flavour Thesaurus (by Niki Segnit), and attempts, quite successfully, to do exactly what is says on the cover, providing an extensive reference of foods and their flavours.
  • By way of a first step to simplify and organise, the book starts by grouping flavours together under headings such as citrus, woodland, meaty, earthy, marine etc., (and you might not always agree with them as taste is always so subjective). One of the things that I still find the most difficult despite my many years in the wine business is trying to express different flavours and taste sensations in words, using vocabulary that people will understand. Fortunately, I was rarely writing my tasting notes for the literary masses, but usually only for my own personal reference, so if I decided to use an obscure turn of phrase I would always know exactly what it meant. For example, I would sometimes write 'spangled fruit' in my notes, which is a reference to the fruit spangle sweets that I used to eat as a child - it is a particular type of slightly tart, piercing, boiled sweet fruit, the important thing being that it was a description that I always understood...... sorry, I digress.
  • Under each food heading comes the actual pairing, where for example, black pudding might be paired with bacon or chocolate - sounds bizarre? Well, perhaps, but the thing that this book really attempts to do is to stimulate and open your mind to new and untried possibilities. Throw away the old culinary crutches of Delia Smith and Robert Carrier and enter the new and exciting world of endless flavour combinations. For instance, we have all been dazzled in recent years by the audacious food pairings of contemporary chefs such as Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal, so why not buy this book and use it as your inspiration to go a bit wild in the confines of your own kitchen?!
  • By the way this is strictly a reference book, and so if you only like food books with lots of glossy pictures then forget it, this book is not for you! 
D.) Culinary Knowledge


  • The knife is the most used and indispensable item a chef has at his or her disposal. Selecting good knives and other types of cutlery is vital. What should a restaurant operator look for in good cutlery? Here are some of the basics.
  • Knives have developed over the years from iron to carbon steel, which is highly susceptible to corrosion, to forms of stainless steel, which are widely used today. The quality of a knife is greatly influenced by the grade of steel used.
  • The most important characteristics of the steel are the hardness and degree of corrosion-resistance in the blade. The exact mix of chromium, carbon and other elements in the steel, along with the heat treatment of the blade during manufacture, will determine these factors. Generally, more expensive cutlery from reputable manufacturers will use better quality raw materials, and in turn give the user more satisfactory performance over years of use.
  • Some things to look for in quality cutlery are as simple as how good a knife feels in your hand. The balanced weight and smooth-shaped handle of a quality knife are easy to recognize. The blade of the knife is an indicator of quality. An evenly tapered profile is usually indicative of a quality instrument as compared to a knife blade that has a hollow ground profile.
  • The tapered blade was shaped in the factory and can be easily resharpened to its original edge, while the hollow ground shape is easily damaged and quick to dull.
  • Another indicator of durability is the tang or end of the blade that is secured to the handle. A quality knife will have a full tang, which will run all the way through and be sandwiched by the handle. Some high-quality knives also may have a secured hidden tang in a plastic resin handle.
  • There are a wide variety of types of knives as varied as the products they are designed to cut. They differ in size, blade shape and type of cutting edge. Here are a few of the types of knives your kitchen may require.
  • Boning knife - A slim blade with a high tip to cut out bones and remove fat and sinew.
  • Bread knife - A long scalloped edge blade for cutting hard crusts easily and leaving clean slices.
  • Filleting knife - A wafer thin blade with flexibility for removing skin and stripping meats.
  • Peeling knife - A small light curved blade shaped to peel fruits and vegetables easily.
  • Chef's knife - An all-purpose sturdy heavy blade usually with a handle above the blade so a full cut can be made while fingers grasp the handle.
  • Meat slicer - Also called a Granton slicer, it has hollows along the side of the blade, making it especially suitable for wafer thin slices of ham or salmon.
  • Cleaver - A heavy rectangular blade allows this knife to chop through large cuts of meat. A Chinese knife may look similar but is usually lighter for more versatility.
  • Santoku knife - An all-around knife for the Asian kitchen, which has a specially made, razor-sharp blade.
  • Paring knife - A relatively small blade with a straight edge gives it versatility to peel and cut.
  • Keeping cutlery sharp is very important. A sharp knife is safer than a blunt one because you use less pressure while cutting. Your hand does not tire easily and the knife has much more grip in the product being cut. All straight-edged knives should be regularly sharpened with a sharpening steel, which should be an essential part of any chef's knife kit.
  • Follow instructions when using a sharpening machine or stone because over-sharpening could damage and wear out your cutlery prematurely. Some manufacturers make ceramic sharpeners that, when used with steel, can put a final smooth sharpness on your knife.
  • One last but very important item is to ensure that your cutlery is always cleaned properly. It's important to remember that "stain resistant" or even stainless-steel knives are never totally rustproof. Knives will come in contact with many food acids like tomatoes or juices of fruits so it will be important to rinse the blades immediately after use. The best way to clean quality knives is by hand with mild soap and warm water. Dishwasher cleaning is usually safe but can cause damage to some items either by exposure to chemicals or as a result of their hitting other items in the load.
  • Always remember: if you take care of your cutlery, it will give you many years of satisfactory service.
E.) Culinary Skills Meaning


  • A successful culinary arts student will require a dash of hard work and a pinch of talent to make a great recipe for a career in the wonderful world of cooking. A fast-paced cooking environment that will require culinary arts students to obtain knowledge quickly and study hard to retain a good amount of information in a very short period of time to accomplish their goals. A cooking profession that revolves around a kitchen environment, there are many colleges and universities around the world that offer degrees and certificate programs to prepare and solve a students career challenge. For the students culinary career, they will learn various skills and cooking techniques while studying the art of cooking. Students in culinary arts can choose from a variety of different cooking programs, also various specialties, and these different specialties have unique techniques and skills necessary for a students career.
  • Specific types of chefs and their specialties are the order of authority, and are typical in a restaurant kitchen environment. An executive chef has the highest position in the restaurant, and his/her responsibility is in the planning and preparation of the food and meals that are being served to their customers. A typical executive chefs duty is to create a menu, make sure the quality of the food is up to standard and deciding how much food is required for the service. Food preparation and managing a staff are some of the skills students will have to learn and acquire, if their goal is to become an executive chef.
  • In restaurants, directly supervised by an executive chef, most times, are sous-chefs and they will assist executive chefs with their daily restaurant duties, requesting food and kitchen supplies, planning the restaurant menu. Some of the responsibilities of the sous-chefs are to teach new skills and techniques to a kitchen staff. Supervision of other kitchen personnel such as specialty chefs and cooks are a sous-chefs responsibility. While students study at culinary colleges and universities to become the next future sous-chefs, they will have to learn different cooking techniques and also teaching skills.
  • Specialty chefs also work in kitchens, and they can specialize in many areas of food including all the meat classes like beef, veal, lamb, poultry and fish to other areas from appetizers to pastries. Specialty chefs will prepare total and complete meals, to decorative food trays, and food garnishes for presentations to customers of the restaurant. Specialty chefs will help supervise other cooks and various staff members in the restaurant kitchen. At culinary arts colleges and universities, students who would like to become specialty chefs will study and learn about all the various aspects and techniques in cooking where they can make a decision on their specific specialty while at college or university.
  • Part of the professional kitchen staff are normal cooks who do most of the grunt work in regards to the cooking in kitchen restaurants. Cooks will prepare complete meals and then supervise other staff and help in the kitchens. It is a team effort from all kitchen staff to make a restaurant successful. Executive chefs and sous-chefs will start their culinary career as a kitchen cook in restaurants or other cooking locations, and it is usually one of the first steps into a successful culinary career once a student graduates from a culinary arts college or university.
  • To become aspiring professional chefs in this competitive world, students will prepare and learn all about the various aspects of culinary cooking. The proper techniques in cooking different types of foods, learn what food ingredients compliment one another and more. One of the most important parts of cooking is food safety and food safe courses are taken to make the cooking process food safe. Learn how to prepare food safely, learn proper cooking temperatures for various types of foods and the nutritional benefits, health aspects of different types of foods. Students have to know while preparing food, what is in the foods and how it will affect certain types of people with different health risks.
  • While fine tuning their cooking skills that students already possess, students at culinary colleges and universities will learn all about these important aspects of the art of cooking.
F.) Chef Training Program

  • Most students attending Liaison College are passionate about a career in the Culinary Arts, which could mean anything from being an Executive Chef to running your own successful restaurant, enjoying the varied lifestyle of a Personal Chef or the excitement of traveling the world by being employed on a cruise ship.
  • The Diploma programs at Liaison College offer you a well rounded, concentrated training program that provides you with the basic skills and knowledge to excel within the Culinary Art industry.
  • Our programs are also attended by people who are simply interested in learning the primary methods and techniques to be able to impress their family and friends on special occasions in addition to being able to produce well balanced, well prepared meals on a day to day basis.
  • We primarily teach students the classic French methods of food preparation.  However, once the basics have been learned we also encourage students to develop their own style and palates in order to expand their repertoire of recipes and skills to be able to appreciate the fine art of dining.
  • We also offer Corporate and Team Building events, this is great idea to bring together, relax and motivate your Team. Please contact us for more details and availability.
  • We are conveniently located in the town of Whitby.
G.) Culinary Arts Skills

Basic Skills in the Program and on the Job

Reading

  • Textbooks are a central part of the courses in this program. Students must have read their assignments in order to participate in class discussions about the material. The reading level for these texts is approximately ninth to tenth grade. Both in their classes and on the job, students will be using professional cooking texts, recipe books, and trade journals. They can expect to use the library to locate references for class reports.
Language
  • Both Communication Skills (COM 703)and Fundamentals of  Oral Communication (SPC 101) are required in this program. In their other courses, students will be expected to present short oral and written research reports and to take essay tests. The emphasis in these assignments is on content rather than mechanics. In labs students must be able to communicate clearly with one another on their cooking projects. Graduates of this people-oriented program can expect constant interaction with other staff members in a team environment. They must be able to give specific written and oral instructions in situations such as detailing the steps in a recipe.
Math
  • In their first semester, students complete their math requirement by taking either Business Math (BUS 112) or Applied Math (MAT 772). Many students find this math requirement a stumbling block; therefore, a solid general math background prior to program entry would be very helpful. Whole numbers, fractions, and per cents are the typical skills used in the program coursework and on the job. Typical math activities include increasing and decreasing recipes, converting measurements (pounds to ounces, gallons to cups), and figuring markups.
Learning
  • Sequential thinking is a key process in this program. Students must follow steps in recipes accurately and create recipes of their own. They must be able to use cause-effect reasoning to recognizing that an alteration in one part of a recipe will require corresponding changes in other parts of the process. They must also be able to visualize both the process and the finished product as they read directions.
Computer
  • In the program, computers are used primarily for word processing. On the job, graduates may also use computers for ordering and for searching data bases such as recipe files and nutritional data.
H.) Culinary Resume


  • This sample culinary arts resume is your calling card. This sample culinary arts resume give you an idea on how to distinguish yourself from crowd. You can use this sample resume while preparing your actual resume for job in culinary arts. This sample resume assists you in placing your information in the manner that will best market your abilities and experience to the potential employer.
Jack Williams
54 Buttermilk Court
Atlanta, Georgia 43220
666-555-2938
jackwill@yahoo.com
OBJECTIVE
Seeking a position in culinary art where my experience and culinary specialties will be fully utilized.

PERSONAL SUMMARY

Three years of experience in making delicious healthy dishes in leading hotel.
Excellent management and planning skills.
Ability to produce quickly under pressure, without sacrificing quality.
Good understanding of all key health and sanitation concerns.
Excellent decision making skills.
Excellent teaching skills.
Good communications skills.
Ability to work well under pressure.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Culinary Arts Chef: 1997-2001
Wind Creek Casino and Hotel

Overseen the staff, placed orders for culinary items and directed the overall preparation of the food which was served in the dining establishment.
Responsible for overseeing all who work below them in the establishment and ensured that their duties are being carried out to the fullest of their potential.
Planned the set menu items and any specials as well as provided the recipes in most cases.
Addressed any complaints which affect kitchen staff and resolved those issues.
Performed payroll calculations, calculated purchase order costs, placed food orders from merchants.

Culinary Arts Instructor: 1994-1996
College of Saint Benedict, Atlanta Georgia

Provided instruction to students in the culinary arts program.
Responsible for teaching and monitoring students on internship.
Responsible for coordinating functions and ordering food and supplies for cafeteria, and restaurant.
Completed all reports, records and invoices in a timely manner and maintained an accurate inventory of all assigned properties.
Advised and counseled students and maintained appropriate advisement records on each student classrooms and laboratories.
Observed and enforced the institution's policies and regulations.
Assisted with student recruitment and job placement as directed by division director.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts, 1993
University of Georgia